


Tinsel

by theimportanceofbeingvictoria



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas, Destiel Christmas Minibang, Holiday Traditions, M/M, New Year's Eve, Pining, Teen Castiel, Teen Dean, Tinsel, holiday fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 18:59:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5597095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theimportanceofbeingvictoria/pseuds/theimportanceofbeingvictoria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was all because of that fucking tinsel. Dean was sure of it. It was that silvery glint it gave off; the way it stuck to everything except where you wanted it to. It defied logic and reason. Much like his revelation. It was that GOD. DAMN. MOTHER. FUCKING. Tinsel. He was sure of it. There’s no other reason he would suddenly want to kiss his best friend of 10 years. He was… mostly positive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tinsel

**Author's Note:**

> Just FYI: So this IS POV Dean (since we hear some of his inner monologue) but the narrator I'm trying to go for is a kind of fairy tale/romance esque narrator that tells you a tale over a roaring fire, adding in commentary and flair as they go along. Think a cross between the Pushing Daisies narrator and Beatrix Potter at Christmas time. I hope it works.

It was all because of that fucking tinsel. Dean was sure of it. It was that silvery glint it gave off; the way it stuck to everything except where you wanted it to. It defied logic and reason. Much like his revelation. It was that GOD. DAMN. MOTHER. FUCKING. Tinsel. He was sure of it. There’s no other reason he would suddenly want to kiss his best friend of 10 years. He was… mostly positive. 

But we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves dear readers. 

It started on December 1st, which was when the Winchester family kicked off their Christmas celebrations, rain or shine. Or snow. Or as in this particular year an odd mix of hail and slush. But the weather is irrelevant to the heart of our story. This is the story of how one Dean Winchester realized he was in love with his best friend, one Castiel Novak.  
It was December 1st and Dean and Cas were tasked with pulling out the ornaments and house decorations from the garage. Sam and Mary had been in full on Christmas baking mode ever since they had returned with the Christmas tree that morning. And John had assigned himself the one man task of untangling all of the tree lights. 

Though those were the facts of this particular December 1st, in fact all December 1sts that Dean Winchester could remember had gone about the same way. The Winchester family (all five of them since Cas had been an honorary Winchester since he and Dean were 6 years old) would hop in the car and drive down to Uncle Bobby’s scrap yard which doubled as the local Christmas tree lot during the month of December. There they would pick out the biggest tree they could find, spend approximately 10 minutes arguing over whether or not to get it flocked (which inevitably led to the family promising Sam that NEXT year would be the year they finally got the tree flocked), strap it to the roof of the car and bring it home. Then Dean and Cas would go about decorating the house while Sam and Mary baked and John busied himself with Christmas lights while grumbling about the lack of good Christmas music on the radio and the weather, because regardless of what it was it was somehow wrong for their holiday tradition. Snow or rain made it bad for decorating outside, sun made it feel not like Christmas. Everyone had their roles to fill in this Christmas tradition and this year was no exception. 

When it happened Sam and Mary were rolling out dough for Christmas cut-out cookies and John was on his second strand of lights, muttering to himself. “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” played on in the background. 

Dean had just put down the last box from the garage when he heard a tumble and a strained “Dean” coming from Cas’ direction. When he looked over all he could witness was the aftermath of a pile of old boxes that had toppled over, somehow ONTO Castiel.

“A little help please” Cas muttered when Dean had done nothing but stare at him. 

But how could he not stare? With Cas all rumpled and beautiful, tinsel all stuck in his hair. Dean was dumb struck with how beautiful Cas looked in Dean’s old AC/DC t-shirt (a loaner Cas never gave back) with his hair all mussed up from the tumble with the boxes. 

So yes it had to be that shimmery fucking tinsel that did it, sticking out of Cas’ hair at all angles.

It confused him that’s all. Coupled with Cas wearing Dean’s old shirt. How could he resist? It was like science. Rumpled nerd in your clothes plus shimmery glowing tinsel hair and the aura and magic of Christmas all around equals instant crush. It would happen to anybody!

But unfortunately (or fortunately as the case turns out for us, dear readers) it happened to Dean. Though Dean’s revelation was a quiet one. And so, quietly dealing with his new found understanding of his best friend, Dean helped him up and they soldiered on in their quest for Christmas perfection. They decked the house with garland, hung the stockings on the fireplace and set up the Christmas village. When everyone had finished their individual tasks, they then sat down to dinner (as per tradition) before putting the ornaments on the tree as a family. 

Normally after a night like this Dean and Cas would pile into the backseat of the Impala while John drove Cas home. But the night before Dean had thrown caution to the wind and had asked John if Dean could drive Cas. Alone. By himself. Since he was 16 this year. Surprisingly John and agreed and Dean had been elated. Of course that was yesterday. Before the revelation. Today, at this EXACT moment, the young hero of our tale is wishing he could have kept his big mouth shut. 

But desires do not magically change reality and thus Dean found himself alone on a dark night in the world’s sexiest car with the newly-discovered object of his desire. 

It won’t be that bad, Dean thought to himself as they had gotten into the Impala. He could not have been more wrong. The ride itself was fine. As they drove the snow began to fall in earnest and they sang along to Christmas carols like they normally did. But when he parked in Cas’ driveway suddenly he froze up. He went to hug Cas goodbye. As they pulled away from the hug somehow it was as if time had stopped. They sat there interlocked for what must have been hours. Dean was sure of it. He must have been trapped holding onto Cas’ embrace for years. An eternity. Forever. Until Cas coughed thus breaking Dean’s spell. 

He pulled away quick like he was burned mumbling a quick “bye Cas” as Cas collected himself before scrambling out of the car with a “good night Dean”.

Unfortunately for young Dean, the entirety of December carried on in the same fashion. Every single innocent, seemingly innocuous Winchester family tradition was thus taken over by his new feelings for Cas. 

When they went caroling all Dean could think about was how low and deep Cas’ voice was. Had it always been that way?

When they adopted a less fortunate family for Christmas he was taken aback by how thoughtful Cas was. Insisting that he use his own money to buy the youngest child the stuffed monkey they had specifically asked for. Was Cas always this generous and kind?

When they passed out Christmas cookies to the neighbors Dean had lost his breath for a minute at how cute Cas looked all wrapped up in his coat and scarf. Frankly, dear readers, it was getting out of control. 

Then came December 21st. Annual present wrapping day. As per tradition, everyone sequestered themselves into their rooms and wrapped all their gifts. And they all put them under the tree that night. John took the bedroom, Mary took the living room and Cas took the kitchen (so he both had his own space and to ensure that Dean didn’t eat the last of the Christmas treats). When Dean snuck down, as he always did to try and sneak a piece of fudge under Cas’ watchful eye (just to prove that he could more than because he actually wanted any) he was once again dumbstruck by Cas. This time it was the way Cas squinted in concentration as he tried to tie perfect puffy bows on his packages. 

An entire month of Winchester traditions and he couldn’t stop himself from sullying each and every one of them with thoughts of his best friend. Romantic thoughts. Thoughts that left him breathless and flush, just thinking about kissing Cas. 

And each of those times he couldn’t even blame the tinsel. There was no damn tinsel in sight. 

The last tradition was on December 25th. Late at night when all the regular Christmas fanfare had gone away Dean and Cas had their own private tradition. No not a Winchester tradition a DeanandCas tradition. Cas would come over to the Winchester house once the sun had gone down and he and Dean would sit in the dark under the lit up Christmas tree, chatting, laughing, just soaking up the last of the Christmas atmosphere in silence. 

And so it was on this Christmas. Once the Novaks had gone to bed, Cas came over to the Winchester residence. Sam had sequestered himself in his room with his new book of obscure Greek mythology and John and Mary had snuggled in bed to watch one last Christmas movie. And Dean… well Dean was pacing. He could see his best friend coming up the drive and Dean could do nothing but pace, waiting for him to arrive. There was always something intimate about them lying side by side underneath the Christmas tree, heads under the branches, legs casually brushing. But Dean knew this year would be worse. Because this year he knew he was in love with his best friend.

A knock startled him from his pacing. And before Dean knew it Cas was inside the house and they were under the tree. 

Normally they just looked up at the branches, slightly aglow from the Christmas lights. But Dean could not pull himself away from staring at Cas, much like he had been doing for the past month. 

As he looked at Cas, he noticed two things. One- Cas was looking back at him. Two- there was motherfucking tinsel in his hair. Again. 

Well Dean just lost it. It might not have been graceful, but goddamn it. It was worth it. Dean surged forward toward him, as quickly as he could under all those tree branches. But it didn’t matter. Cas got the message. He met him halfway. And then. Then they were kissing under the tree. 

And it was suddenly as if the month of pining had all been worth it. When he got to kiss Cas under the Christmas tree, legs tangled, hands grasping at each other.

After a few moments Dean pulled back from the kiss, fearing…. Well not sure what he was fearing. But just fearing something. That this would change everything. Ruin everything. But it was worth it when Cas just looked at him, knowingly and said “don’t worry Dean. I’m scared too. I never thought you would like me back. I’m guessing you felt the same way. If that’s true, then maybe we were made for each other.”

To have Cas say they were made for each other- that was worth it too. 

It was also worth it when he dragged Dean back into a make out session under his Christmas tree. 

Maybe it didn’t feel AS worth it when Sam discovered them there the next morning still under the tree, locked in an embrace. 

But when Mary just smiled and told them 20 minutes until breakfast was ready, Dean realized even getting “discovered” under the Christmas tree might have been worth it if it saved him a coming out conversation to his family. 

But it was DEFINITELY worth it when he got to kiss his very first boyfriend at the stroke of midnight on new year’s eve, knowing he would start the year off right- in love with his best friend. THAT was worth it. 

All thanks to some dumb tinsel. 

And that dear readers is how one Dean Winchester realized he was in love with his best friend one Castiel Novak. All thanks to gravity and a bit of mother. Fucking. Tinsel. 

~ The End ~

**Author's Note:**

> Took it right down to the wire. But I was actually able to post two works this year! Proud of myself. Who knows, maybe next year I'll write three!!


End file.
